Toward a Global Overview of HbA1c Test Performance

Test standardization is a complex and multifaceted effort that’s remained a major goal for laboratory medicine’s professional societies, including the AACC and IFCC.  Hemoglobin A1c is an example of a test that has undergone global standardization due to its worldwide importance in diabetes screening, diagnosis, and care.  A key part of any standardization effort is aligning all manufacturers’ methods to an accepted reference method.  This was the main aim of the European Hemoglobin A1c trial devised by the IFCC’s Committee on Education and Use of Biomarkers in Diabetes. The August 2018 issue of Clinical Chemistry includes an original research article that describes the European Hemoglobin A1c trial and its results.